Ranging Method and Apparatus, and Communication Device and Storage Medium

This application is a U.S. national phase application of International Application No. PCT/CN2022/101690, filed on Jun. 27, 2022, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The present disclosure relates to, but not limited to, the field of wireless communication technologies, and provides a ranging method, a ranging device, a communication device and a storage medium.

Ranging may include determining a ranging parameter between two user equipment (UEs) via a sidelink (SL). The ranging parameter may include at least one of the following parameters: a distance between the two UEs, a direction between one UE and another UE, and a relative position between one UE and another UE. The ranging may also include positioning via the sidelink, i.e., positioning the UE via PC5 and/or SR5. In general, the ranging includes distance measurement, direction measurement, positioning, or a combination thereof.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a ranging method, a ranging device, a communication device and a storage medium.

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a ranging method is provided. The ranging method is performed by a location network function, and includes:

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a ranging method, performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) is provided and includes:

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, a ranging method, performed by a UE, is provided and includes:

It should be understood that the above general description and the detailed description below are only exemplary (serving as an example) and explanatory and cannot limit the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Here, embodiments will be described in detail, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementations described in the following embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the embodiments of the present disclosure. Instead, they are only examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure as detailed in the attached claims.

The terms used in the embodiments of the present disclosure are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present disclosure. The singular forms of “a” and “the” used in the embodiments of the present disclosure and the attached claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term “and/or” used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used to describe various information in the embodiments of the present disclosure, these information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word “if” as used herein may be interpreted as “at . . . ” or “when . . . ” or “in response to”.

shows a schematic diagram of a structure of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in, the wireless communication system is a communication system based on the cellular mobile communication technology, and the wireless communication system may include: several terminalsand several base stations.

Among them, the terminalmay be a device that provides voice and/or data connectivity to a user. The terminalcan communicate with one or more core networks via a radio access network (RAN). The terminalmay be an Internet of Things terminal, such as a sensor device, a mobile phone (or a “cellular” phone), and a computer with an Internet of Things terminal, for example, a fixed, portable, pocket-sized, handheld, computer-built-in or vehicle-mounted device. For example, a station (STA), a subscriber unit, a subscriber station, a mobile station, a mobile, a remote station, an access point, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, a user agent, a user device, or a user equipment (UE). Alternatively, terminalmay also be a device of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Alternatively, terminalmay also be a vehicle-mounted device, such as a driving computer with wireless communication function, or a wireless communication device connected to an external driving computer. Alternatively, terminalmay also be a roadside device, such as a streetlamp, signal lamp or other roadside device with wireless communication function.

The base stationmay be a network side device in the wireless communication system. The wireless communication system may be a 4th generation mobile communication (4G) system, also known as a long term evolution (LTE) system; or, a 5generation wireless communication system, also known as a new radio (NR) system or a 5G NR system. Alternatively, the wireless communication system may be a next generation system of the 5G system. The access network in the 5G system may be called New Generation-Radio Access Network (NG-RAN), or an MTC system.

The base stationmay be an evolved base station (eNB) used in the 4G system. Alternatively, the base stationmay also be a base station (gNB) using a centralized distributed architecture in the 5G system. When the base stationuses a centralized distributed architecture, it generally includes a centralized unit (CU) and at least two distributed units (DU). The centralized unit is provided with a protocol stack of a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, a radio link layer control protocol (RLC) layer, and a media access control (MAC) layer; the distributed unit is provided with a physical (PHY) layer protocol stack. The specific implementation method of the base stationis not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure.

A wireless connection may be established between the base stationand the terminalthrough a wireless air interface. In different implementations, the wireless air interface is based on the fourth generation (4G) mobile communication network technology standard; or, the wireless air interface is based on the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication network technology standard, for example, the wireless air interface is a new air interface; or, the wireless air interface may also be based on the next generation mobile communication network technology standard of 5G.

In some embodiments, an E2E (End to End) connection may also be established between the terminals, for example, V2V (vehicle to vehicle) communication, V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) communication and V2P (vehicle to pedestrian) communication in vehicle to everything (V2X) communication.

In some embodiments, the wireless communication system may further include a network management device.

Several base stationsare respectively connected to the network management device. Among them, the network management devicemay be a core network device in the wireless communication system, for example, the network management devicemay be a mobility management entity (MME) in the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). Alternatively, the network management device may also be other core network devices, such as a Serving Gate Way (SGW), a Public Data Network Gate Way (PGW), a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS). The implementation form of the network management deviceis not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

The fifth generation (5G) and other cellular mobile communication systems can support ranging/sidelink (SL) positioning services. Here, ranging/SL positioning services may be ranging/positioning services based on the sidelink. Ranging/SL positioning services may be exposed to 5G networks and application servers. The current ranging/SL positioning services do not consider the privacy issues of UEs.

Therefore, how to protect the privacy of the UE during ranging/SL positioning services is an urgent problem to be solved.

It should be noted that when a plurality of execution entities may be involved in all embodiments of the present disclosure, the transmission from one execution entity to another execution entity specified in the embodiments of the present disclosure may refer to one execution entity directly transmitting to another execution entity, or it may refer to one execution entity transmitting to another execution entity via any other device; this is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a ranging method that may be executed by a location network function of a cellular mobile communication system, the ranging method includes the following step.

Step: The location network function determines a service parameter for the ranging at least based on a privacy profile of a UE related to a first ranging request; in which the first ranging request is a request for performing the ranging via a sidelink.

The location network function (Location NF) may be a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) or a ranging/sidelink positioning management function (RSMF), etc. The location network function may be responsible for verifying the privacy profile of the UE associated with ranging and controlling the ranging, etc. The location network function may be an entity on the network side or a function on the network side, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this. In one implementation, the location network function may be a function in any entity on the network side or a new entity. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the location network function may be implemented by an existing network element or an entity or a function on the network side, so it should be considered that its name “location network function” is not a limitation on the function or the network element.

In a possible implementation, the ranging based on the sidelink may include ranging based on a signal on the PC5 port and/or SR5 port of the sidelink.

Here, the ranging may include but is not limited to at least one of: determining a distance between two or more UEs via the sidelink; determining a relative direction between one UE and another UE via the sidelink; determining a relative position between one UE and another UE via the sidelink. The ranging may also include sidelink positioning, that is, positioning the UE via the sidelink.

Exemplarily, the target UE may be ranged in combination with a plurality of UEs to determine the distance and/or direction value between the target UE and the plurality of UEs. The triangulation positioning method may also be used to determine the coordinates of the target UE through the ranging results of the plurality of UEs and the target UE to achieve sidelink positioning.

In this embodiment, unless otherwise specified, “ranging” may include at least one of: determining the distance between two or more UEs via the sidelink, determining the relative direction between one UE and another UE via the sidelink, determining the relative position between one UE and another UE via the sidelink, positioning the UE via the sidelink, etc. Among them, determining the relative direction between one UE and another UE via the sidelink and determining the relative position between one UE and another UE via the sidelink are often performed together.

In one possible implementation, the ranging between a plurality of UEs to be measured based on the sidelink may be used to determine the distance and/or direction between N UEs to be measured in the plurality of UEs to be measured and other UEs in the plurality of UEs to be measured, and may also be used to determine the position of N UEs to be measured in the plurality of UEs to be measured, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to the total number of UEs to be measured.

For example, the UE and/or the core network equipment (such as LMF, etc.) may determine the distance between UEs based on a flight time of a signal transmitted by PC5 and/or SR5 port between UEs. Further, positioning of a UE at an unknown position may be achieved based on the relative positions between a plurality of UEs at known positions and UEs at unknown positions, that is, positioning of UE at an unknown position is achieved. Here, the position of the UE may include but is not limited to a geographic coordinate position of the UE, a relative position of the UE to a reference point (such as a base station or a UE at a known position), etc. This is not limited here.

The location network function may provide the service parameter for the ranging based on the first ranging request.

In a possible implementation, the service parameter for the ranging provided by the location network function include but are not limited to at least one of:

In a possible implementation, the location network function may control the UE to perform the ranging through core network elements such as AMF.

Here, the UE associated with the first ranging request may be a UE associated with the ranging, and the UE associated with the ranging may include but are not limited to UEs participating in the ranging. The UE associated with the ranging may include but are not limited to at least one of: a reference UE, a target UE, an observer UE, a third party UE, or an assistant UE, etc.

The privacy profile may be used to indicate the privacy information of the UE associated with the ranging. The ranging behavior of the UE is limited.

In a possible implementation, the privacy profile of the UE may indicate the type of ranging that the UE is allowed to perform, and/or the type of ranging that the UE is not allowed to perform.

The type of the ranging may be determined based on the number of UEs participating in the ranging. For example, the type of the ranging includes ranging of different numbers of UEs.

The type of the ranging may also be determined based on the ranging result of the ranging. For example, the type of ranging may include ranging of relative distance measurement, ranging of relative direction measurement, ranging of UE positioning, etc.

In a possible implementation, the privacy profile of the UE may indicate the accuracy of ranging that the UE is allowed to perform, and/or the accuracy of ranging that the UE is not allowed to perform. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the “accuracy of ranging that the UE is allowed to perform” may be specifically a value of accuracy, or a range of accuracy. Based on the privacy profile of the UE, it may be determined what accuracy of positioning the UE allows.

In a possible implementation, the privacy profile of the UE may be pre-stored in the core network. The privacy profile may be provided by the UE, or may be agreed upon between the UE and the network side, or may be specified by the communication protocol, or may be specified by the network operator.

In one embodiment, the privacy profile is used to indicate at least one of:

In a possible implementation, the location network function determines that the privacy profile of the UE indicates that the UE is allowed to perform the ranging, and then continues the subsequent steps of the ranging, such as instructing the UE to perform the ranging. The location network function determines that the privacy profile of the UE may indicate that the UE is not allowed to perform the ranging, and then stops the subsequent steps of the ranging, such as not instructing the UE to perform ranging or perform any operation.

In a possible implementation, whether the ranging is allowed may include whether the UE is authorized to perform the ranging.

The time range in which the ranging is allowed may be the time range in which the UE is allowed to perform the ranging, including at least one of the following: a start time, an end time, and a duration of allowing the UE to perform the ranging.

In a possible implementation, the area range may include at least one of the following: a geographical range, a cell to which the UE belongs, and a coverage range of a base station to which the UE belongs.

In a possible implementation, the location network function provides ranging services within the time range in which the UE is allowed to perform the ranging, such as instructing the UE to perform the ranging within the time range in which the UE is allowed to perform the ranging.

In a possible implementation, there may be a plurality of UEs associated with the ranging, and the service parameter for the ranging may be provided based on the privacy profiles corresponding to the plurality of UEs.

Exemplarily, for the ranging performed by two UEs, the location network function may provide ranging services to the two UEs when the privacy profiles of the two UEs both indicate that ranging is allowed, such as instructing the two UEs to perform the ranging.

The first ranging request may be sent by a first ranging requester. After receiving the first ranging request, the location network function may determine the UE that performs the ranging, and then provide ranging services based on the privacy profile of the UE. Among them, the first ranging requester may be either a UE, an access network, or a network element or a function of a core network.